Jannik Sinner set to keep top spot in ATP rankings after US Open following impressive show in Cincinnati

Italy’s Jannik Sinner produced a memorable performance in the Cincinnati Open and booked his place in the final of the competition. The 23-year-old, who is already regarded as one of the best players currently playing in men’s tennis, defeated Germany’s Alexander Zverev in the semifinal with a score of 7-6 (11-9), 5-7, 7-6 (7-4).

The win was an important one for Sinner as it gave him an assurance that he would finish the upcoming US Open as the world number one, regardless of the result there. The fourth and final Grand Slam of the year will begin on August 26, and players from all over the world will participate to showcase their talent and secure the ultimate prize. The San Candido-born star, with that win, now has 9,410 rating points, which is nearly 2,000 more than both Serbia’s Novak Djokovic (second with 7,460 points) and Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz (third with 7,360 points).

While talking to the media after the match, the Italian tennis star was clearly happy and stated that it gives him a lot of satisfaction to get the better of an opponent who historically had an edge over him, that too while playing with a slight niggle. "It means a lot to me. It's a very different moment, what I'm going through, so I'm very happy about this result," he said.

Sinner will now face America’s Frances Tiafoe in the final of the competition. He defeated Norway’s Casper Ruud in the semifinal with the score of 4-6 6-1 7-6 (7-4). It will be the fourth meeting between the two at the highest level. In the previous three meetings, Sinner had a slight edge with two wins and suffered a defeat in the process. Their most recent meeting was during the Erste Bank Open in Vienna in October last year, where the reigning world number one came out on top in straight sets with a score of 6-3, 6-4.